Boeing 727-200 accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, January 25, 1991
On January 25, 1991 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Boeing 727-200, registered N815AA, was involved in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 92 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE PROPER PROCEDURES AND THE IMPROPER USE OF THE THROTTLES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 1991 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Indianapolis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 92 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 727-200 · all 727-200s on the register
- Registration
- N815AA · registry record
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AMERICAN FLIGHT 323 (AA323) TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RUNWAY 23R. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT A STATIC/PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM PROBLEM THE CREW PERFORMED A POWER RUN-UP. THE JET BLAST CONTACTED AND MOVED A NORTHWEST DC9 (NW878) WHICH WAS PARKED AT GATE A7, BEHIND AND PERPENDICULAR TO AA323. THE MOVEMENT OF THE AIRPLANE RESULTED IN AN EXTERNAL HEATER HOSE DISCONNECTING FROM THE AIRPLANE. A 15 LB METAL COUPLING ON THE END OF THE HOSE STRUCK A MECHANIC WHEN IT DISCONNECTED. THE MECHANIC WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH INTERNAL INJURIES. THE CREW OF AA323 REPORTED BEING UNAWARE OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF NW878. AA323 DID NOT REQUEST OR OBTAIN A CLEARANCE TO PERFORM THE RUN-UP IN THE UNAUTHORIZED AREA.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,885 hours in all; 1,885 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT-8-D (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Destination: DFW Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 85 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.